In the distance he had heard a scrape. Like a shoe slipping on rock. But the sound didn’t come again.
“What was it?” Nate asked.
“I think someone’s out there.”
“A guard?”
“Must be.” Quinn thought for a moment. “Go around the right side of that hill.” He pointed at a mound of rock rising ahead of them another fifty feet. “I’ll go left. Let’s meet back here in ten minutes.”
Nate nodded.
“And Nate,” Quinn added as Nate was about to leave.
“What?”
Quinn smiled. “Don’t trip.”
Tucker had grown impatient waiting for word about the possible intruder, so he had the guard at the gate patch all communications with the search team to his radio. Now he sat staring at the small black unit on his desk, listening to bouts of dead air between bursts of digitally encrypted transmissions.
“Base to four,” a voice said.
The two-man team had been joined by the four men Tucker had sent. The man in the guardhouse was Base, while the searchers were numbered two through six.
“Four,” another voice replied, his tone hushed.
“Status.”
“Grid H-3 clear.”
“Move to H-4.”
“Roger.”
“Base to five.”
“Five here,” the new voice said. Before Base could ask for a status, he went on. “I have a visual. Repeat, I have a visual.”
“Grid?”
“A-2. Near the fence. Looks like a male.”
Tucker couldn’t help himself. He picked up his radio and pushed transmit. “What’s he doing?”
There was a pause, then five said, “He’s prone. No movement.”
“Is he injured?” Tucker asked.
“Doesn’t appear to be. His eyes are open and active.”
There was dead air for a moment.
“Base requests instructions,” the man at the guardhouse said, his question directed at Tucker.
“Is he alone?” Tucker asked.
“I haven’t seen anyone else,” five said.
Tucker thought for a moment. “Have your man stay there and keep an eye on him. Report any movement. Have the others move in and check surrounding area to make sure he’s alone.”
“Roger,” Base said. “Five hold position. Two, four, and six sweep grid points B-2, B-3, and A-3. If clear, proceed to A-4. Three, move to A-1 to cover any potential forward movement by intruder.”
Guards two, three, four, and six all replied with “Roger.”
Then the radio went dead again.
“I’ve got movement.”
Nate’s voice was so low, Quinn almost thought he was imagining it. As if he could see where Nate was, he turned to the west, but the only thing there was the hill that separated them.
“What is it?”
“Looks like one of the guards. He’s at my two o’clock, a hundred and twenty feet away, but coming in this direction.”
“Standard patrol?” Quinn asked.
“Definitely not. He’s sweeping, and keeping low. He’s looking for something.”
“Is he alone?”
“I… don’t see anyone else.” Nate’s voice lacked confidence.
“Where are you?”
“I found a crevice between two boulders. Southwest corner of the hill.” He paused. “I can also see a motion sensor. It’s about forty feet in front of me.”
“Did you trip it?”
“I … I don’t think so.”
“If you think you can, back out of there,” Quinn said. “Otherwise hold tight until they’re gone. I’ll go up the hill and see if I can get an overview.”
“Copy that.”
Quinn turned to his right and began ascending the hill.
“B-4 clear,” two said.
Several seconds later, six added, “A-4 also clear.”
He pushed the transmit button on his radio. “Close in and apprehend. I want to talk to him, so don’t kill him.”
“Roger,” Base said. “All units close in on A-2, but hold at least fifty feet out from intruder, then report when in position. Five, you have ground command.”
“Roger,” five said.
The first “in position” came forty-five seconds after the order was given. The last, a minute and a half later.
“Close to twenty-five feet,” five said.
Silence.
“Hands in the air!” five called out, his voice booming from the receiver.
It was followed in quick succession by similar calls from the other guards.
Tucker waited for the sound of gunfire, but there was none.
“On your feet,” one of the guards called out. Tucker had lost track of who was who. “On your fucking feet!”
“Get up! Get up!”
“Drop your backpack to the ground, and put your hands on your head!”
“On your head, goddammit!”
“Four, six, search him.”
“I’ve got a gun,” a guard said. Six? “Spare mag in his pants pocket.”
“Backpack?” Tucker recognized the voice this time. Five.
“A couple more mags. Surveillance equipment. Some rope.”
“Use it to tie his hands.”
“Left hand down.” Several seconds passed, then, “Now your right.”
“Intruder secured.” Five again, his calmer tone denoting that this message was meant for Base and Tucker.
“Who is he?” Tucker asked.
“Name!” five shouted.
There was silence.
“I said give me your goddamn name!”
More silence.
There was a loud thwack. Tucker knew the sound well, rifle stock against flesh.
“Get the fuck back on your feet and tell me your name.”
Silence, then another smack.
